


Percy and Pandora: The Lightning Thief

by RainbowHairedGlitch



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: Canon Rewrite, F/M, Percy and Pandora, Twin Fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-05-10
Updated: 2013-08-21
Packaged: 2017-12-10 23:36:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,342
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/791476
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainbowHairedGlitch/pseuds/RainbowHairedGlitch
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Percy and Pandora Jackson are twins who get sucked into the world of Greek Mythology, framed for something they didn't do. This is their adventure.<br/>[Indefinite Hiatus]</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. We kill our Math Teacher (Only a little On Purpose)

**Author's Note:**

> Im so sorry  
> i really wish Percy had a twin sometimes  
> so here y'all go  
> this will probably be a series

**PANDORA**

Look, I didn't ask to be a half-blood.

If you're reading this because you think you're one, stop. Stop right now. Put the book down.  
Believe whatever lie your Mom or Dad told you. Try to be a normal kid.  
Being a half-blood is dangerous. It's freaking terrifying. Most of the time you get killed, or get someone you love killed.  
If you know you're normal, and you think that this is a work of fiction, great.  
Good for you. Read on. But if you see anything that even remotely resembles you in these pages, then put the book down.  
Heck, burn it and throw the ashes into the sea. Because once you know, they know. So if you think that you may be one of us, then put the book down.

Don't say I didn't warn you.

My name is Pandora Jackson. I'm twelve years old, and I have a twin brother named Percy.  
Until a few months ago, I was a boarding student at Yancy Academy, a private school for troubled kids in upstate New York.

Are my brother and I troubled kids? Yeah. You could say that.  
I could start at any point in our short, miserable lives to prove it, but it really started to get bad when our sixth-grade class to a field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art to look at Greek and Roman stuff.  
I know. BOR-ING. Most Yancy field trips were complete torture. But Mr Brunner, our Latin teacher, was leading this trip. I had hope.

Mr Brunner was this middle aged guy in a motorized wheel chair. He had thinning hair, a scruffy beard, and a tweed jacket that always smelt like coffee. You wouldn't think he would be cool, but he told stories in class and we played games, so it was pretty sweet. He also dressed up in Roman armor and challenged us to stupid competitions, sword-against-chalk.

I hoped this trip would be okay. Percy and I probably wouldn't get into trouble.  
Boy, was I wrong.  
See, bad things happen to us on field trips. Like in 5th grade, we went to the Saratoga battlefield. Percy had an indecent with the Revolutionary War cannon. He wasn't aiming for the school bus, but we got expelled anyways. And in 4th grade, we took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Marine World shark pool, I sorta dumped our class into the pool. With sharks. And before that... Well, you get the idea.

This trip, I was determined to keep both myself and Percy out of trouble.

All the way to the city, I put up with Nancy Bobofit, the freckly red head klepto girl, chucking peanut-butter-and-ketchup sandwich at Percy and Grover.

Grover was and easy target, poor thing. He was scrawny. He cried when he got frustrated. He must've been held back several grades, as he was the only sixth-grader with acne and the start of a beard on his chin. On top of all that, he was crippled. He had a note excusing him from PE for the rest of his life because he had some sort of muscular disorder. He walked funny, like every step hurt him. Don't let that fool you, that boy can run. (especially on enchilada day.)

Anyways, Little Miss Bobofit was chucking wads that stuck in Grover's curly brown hair, and she knew Percy couldn't do anything to stop her. We were already on probation, and I really didn't want to get suspended.

"I'm going to kill her. "I heard Percy mumble. 

"Don't worry, i like peanut butter." Grover said, trying to calm him down. Nancy tossed another piece of her lunch, and Percy started to move towards her. I casually stuck my foot out, tripping Percy. I yanked him into the seat next to me.

"Percy, we're already on probation. You can't." I said, my eyes meeting his. His were a lovely sea green, like tropical water. Mine were more of an Lolite,

like the darker, more dangerous part of the sea. "But Pan-" he started. I cut him off. 

"No Percy. think about Mom." I urged, gripping his hand. Looking back, I wished I had let him deck Nancy right there. In-school suspension for Percy would've been easier to deal with then the mess we were about to get into.

Mr Brunner led the Museum tour. He rode up the front in his wheelchair, guiding us through the big echoey galleries, past marble statues and glass crates full of black and orange pottery. It was pretty cool that this stuff was that old, and had survived all those years. We were standing around a really tall statue with a sphinx on top, and Mr Brunner was droning on about how it was funeral art, a stele or something. Boring as heck. I looked around, and saw Mrs. Dodds giving Percy the evil eye for telling Nancy to shut up.

Mrs. Dodds was this little old math teacher from Georgia who always wore a leather jacket, even if she was really old. She had come to Yancy half way through the year, and must've had something against twins, cause she HATED Percy and I. She would always call me out and say "Now, Honey." Really sweetly, and I knew Percy and I would have detention for the next month.

One time, she had made Perce erase math textbooks until midnight. When he finally got back to the dorms, he told Grover and I that he didn't think she was human. Grover looked him in the eye, and said "You're absolutely right." All serious like.

Mr Brunner continued to drone on about Greek funeral art. When Nancy Bobofit sniggered about something on the stele, Percy lost it. "Will you shut up?" he snapped, louder than he meant to.

"Mr Jackson, did you have a comment?" Uh-oh. Mr Brunner was looking in our direction,one eyebrow raised. 

Percy turned tomato red. "No sir." he muttered. 

Mr Brunner pointed at an image on the stele. "Perhaps you could tell us what this picture represents?" Mr Brunner said, crossing his arms.

_C'mon Perce, you know this!_ I thought, crossing my fingers inside of my hoodie pocket. Percy studied the image, then said "That's Kronos eating his kids, right?" I breathed a sigh of relief. But Mr Brunner wasn't finished yet.

"Yes, and he did this because..?" I held my breath.

"Well... Kronos was the king god-" I cringed. 

"God?" Mr Brunner asked. "Titan!" I breathed.

"Titan." Percy corrected himself. "And... He didn't trust his kids, who were the gods. So, um, Kronos ate them, right? But his wife hid baby Zeus, and gave Kronos a rock to eat instead. And later, when Zeus grew up, he tricked his dad, Kronos, into barfing up his brothers and sisters-"

"Ewwww!" a girl squealed. I casually stepped backwards onto her foot. "Shut up and let him finish!" I mumbled. 

"-and so there was this big fight between the Gods and Titans," he continued, "and the Gods won." More laughter from the peanut gallery.

Behind us, Nancy Bobofit snickered and mumbled to her friend, "Like we're going to use this in real life. Like it's going to say on our job applications, 'Please explain why Kronos ate his kids'."

"And why, Ms Jackson," Mr Brunner said, turning to me, "to paraphrase Miss Bobofit's excellent question, does this matter in real life?" I grinned, and Grover whispered "Busted."

"Shut up." Nancy hissed, her face the same color as her hair.

At least Nancy got into trouble too. I thought about Mr Brunner's question, then shrugged. "I don't know, sir." I said, tilting my head to the side.

"I see." He looked slightly disappointed. "Well, half credit to each of you. Zeus did indeed feed Kronos a mixture of mustard and wine, which made him disgorge his other five children, who, of course, being immortal gods, had been living and growing up completely undigested in the Titan's stomach. The gods defeated their father, sliced him up with his own scythe, and scattered his remains in Tarturaus, the darkest part of the underworld. On that happy note, it's time for lunch." I couldn't help it. I giggled.  
"Mrs Dodds, would you lead the class back outside?" The class drifted off, mainly being idiots. Percy, Grover and I were just starting to walk off when Mr Brunner said, 

"Mr. Jackson." I looked at Percy and bit my lip, unsure. 

"s'okay Dora. Meet you outside, K?" I nodded, then started walking with Grover.

The sky was weirdly dark. We'd had weird weather since Christmas, floods and thunderstorms and stuff. It looked a tad like a hurricane was blowing in.  
Grover and I sat at the edge of the fountain, and we were chatting about nature and global warming. Grover loved nature, and was a total green-freak. I loved the sea, and when people dumped trash in it, I got pissed. We were always talking about that sort of stuff.

Percy walked towards us and slumped down in between Grover and I.

"Detention?" Grover asked.

"Nah, not from Brunner. I just wish he'd lay off me sometimes. I mean- I'm not a genius."

"No arguing there!" I laughed, biting down on my sandwich. Percy shot me a dirty look and mumbled "Shut up Pan." Grover winced when Percy said 'Pan' like it was the name of some god. Huh.

Percy turned to Grover, obviously expecting some wise response, but all Grover said was: "Can I have your apple?"

Percy shrugged and gave it to him. He stared at the road, watching the stream of cabs. He looked like he wanted to run all the way home. I bit my lip again, looking at him worriedly. I was lost in thought when Nancy Bobofit came up and dumped her lunch all over Grover.

'Oops." She grinned, her freckles looking like neon spray paint. Percy stood up and thrust his hand out. Fast as lightning, the water from the fountain reached out and grabbed her.  
I quickly pulled Percy down into his seat as the water yanked Nancy into the fountain.

Next minute, she was wailing "Percy pushed me!" while climbing out of the fountain.

Mrs Dodds appeared, and after comforting Nancy, turned on Percy and I. "Now, Honeys." She said, all sickly sweet. 

"I know, a month erasing textbooks." Percy said. 

She snapped "Follow me!" and stomped off towards the museum.

"But Pandora didn't even-" Percy started. I clamped my hand over his mouth and told him to shut up.

We followed Mrs Dodds into the museum. We walked past the gift shop and walked after her until we reached the Greek and Roman gallery. We were alone with Mrs Dodds.

Mrs Dodds started glaring at me and Percy, making this weird growling noise.

"You've been giving us problems, Honeys." she said. I looked her in the eye and said, "Yes m'am." Playing it safe. She tugged at her jacket and growled. "Did you really think you two would get away with it?" she snapped, pointing a wrinkled finger at us. I glanced at Percy as we said, "I'll try harder m'am." in sync with each other. "We are not fools, Jackson Twins. It was only a matter of time before we found you out. Confess, and you will suffer less pain."

Okay, that was weird. Maybe she found Percy's candy black market. Or Maybe she had found out that I hadn't actually read Tom Sawyer and that I had gotten my essay off of the internet.

"Well?" She demanded.

"M'am, we don't-" I started. Then things got weird.

"Your time is up." she hissed before transforming into a weird bat-monster. I ducked and kicked Percy's feet out from under him, knocking him to the ground just as Mrs. Dodds flew at us.

Then things got really freaky.

Mr Brunner wheeled himself into the room just as Percy and I scrambled up. "What Ho, Percy!" He called, tossing my brother a pen. A PEN. I watched as it flew through the air, turning itself into Mr Brunner's bronze sword that he challenged us with. Mrs Dodds flew at us again, and I could tell Percy was going to swing the sword. I did the only thing I could think of: Hit the deck. As I dropped to my stomach, Percy swung the sword, slicing Mrs Dodds in half. She exploded into a sulphurous yellow powder that drifted down onto us. I stood up and looked Percy up and down, assessing the damage. After I made sure he was alright, I hugged him tightly. Thank god he was alive. "What the heck was that!" I yelled, my eyes wide. I pulled away from Percy and noticed that the sword was a pen again. What was going on?


	2. Why Must all Things End like This?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy and Pandora do things + get stranded in the middle of no where  
> also telepathy

**PERCY**

No one remembered who Mrs Dodds was. Apparently, Ms Kerr had been our math teacher all year.  
Everyone had been acting weird since the Museum trip. It seemed that Pandora and I were the only ones who remembered Mrs Dodds. It was insane. We couldn't have possibly had a shared 24/7 hallucination. That was as impossible as demon math teachers. Which was, well, impossible.

I couldn't accept the fact that Mrs Dodds never existed. I convinced Pandora to check the school records, but there was nothing.  
So I asked Grover. "Who's Mrs Dodds?" He asked, hesitating slightly. That was how I knew he was lying. He would always hesitate before saying her name.

My grades were slipping. They went from C's to D's, the D's to F's. I got into more fights with Nancy Bobofit and her friends, and I was sent out into the hall almost every lesson. I finally lost it when my English teacher, Mr Nicols, yelled at me about my test score. "Like I care, you old sot!" I yelled, banging my fist on the desk. Later that week, we were informed that Pandora and I would not be accepted at Yancy Academy next year. _Fine._ I thought. _Well, Perce, you gotta have a better attitude than that!_ I heard Pandora think. People never believed us, But Pandora and I could here each other's thoughts when we wanted to. Weird, huh? _Perce, at least we get to go home next week!_ My twin thought. I could practically see her grin. I smiled. _See you at the dorm?_ I asked. _Yep!_ she replied. Then, with the familiar buzzing feeling, she was gone.

I threw my Latin textbook at the wall opposite me, narrowly missing Pandora as she walked into the room. "Oi, watch it! Trying to walk over here!" She snapped, slumping down onto her bed. "You give up on studying?" She asked, eying the Latin book that was now on the floor. 

"Yeah." I sighed. "I really wanna pass my Latin exam, y'know?" I sighed again, staring at the ceiling.

"Look, Perce, I get it. You wanna show Mr Brunner that you did learn from him. So do I." Pandora said, moving to my bed. She laid down next to me and gripped my hand. "Remember when we had glow-in-the-dark stars on our ceiling when we were little?" she giggled, filling me with a nice, warm feeling. 

"Yeah, and we had a fish themed bed, right?" I recalled, joining in with her laughter. She sat up, grinning down at me. 

"Alrighty then. Time to pass this Latin exam, right?" She smirked, standing up and tossing me the Latin textbook before pulling on her shoes and a hoodie.

"Where are we going?" I asked, doing the same. 

"Mr Brunner. We'll ask him for help." she pulled the door open and walked into the hallway. I jogged after her, and in a few minutes, we were standing outside of the Latin classroom. I froze when I heard the clopping of hooves, like there was a horse inside. I heard a voice that was most definitely Grover's say, "...Worried about Percy, sir."

Pandora's eyes widened.

"Grover?" She mouthed, pointing at the door. I nodded, leaning closer.

"...Alone this summer. I mean, a Kindly One in the school! Pandora too! Now that we know for sure, and /they/ know too-"

" We would only make matters worse by rushing them." Mr Brunner said. "We need them to mature more." Grover made and irritated bleating sound. 

"But they may not have time! The summer solstice deadline-"

"Will have to be resolved without him, Grover." Mr Brunner said.

That was when I dropped the book. I heard the loud bang and froze, looking down to where the textbook was lying. I heard the clopping coming closer to the door, so I grabbed the book and ran. Pandora caught up to me in no time, being the faster twin. We ran all they way back to the room we shared and flung ourselves inside. I locked the door then heard a soft clipping, then Mr Brunner saying something along the lines of, i dunno, "must be getting old?"

I turned to face Pandora. "Do you think-" She started, before I cut her off with a sharp reply of: "Forget it. We're going home the day after tomorrow, k?" She looked shocked that I had snapped at her, so I softened my voice and asked, "Do you want me to sing?" She nodded before curling up into her bed.

See, Pandora was the younger twin. I was actually 5 minutes older, so I was the older. She always turned to me for help. Like in 3rd grade, a boy had tripped her and made her lose her place on the soccer team. She walked up to me with grass stains on her knees and tears streaming down her face, sobbing. I had sent the guy home with a black eye, and Pandora got her position on the team back. So whenever she couldn't sleep, I sang to her. I would sing until she fell asleep, no matter how much my voice hurt or how tired I was.

I started singing her a lullaby that Mom had taught me, about sleeping with peace and dreaming about the fishes.

_Sleep, my darling_

_lay your head to rest,_

_as if your satin pillow were a path,_

_and you could go and see the fishes,_

_their color's oh so pretty,_

_dream, my darling,_

_and they will take you away_

I sang a few more verses until I could hear Pandora snoring. I looked down at her face and she looked so at peace, her long black hair falling around her pillow in a great tangled mess. I ran a hand through my own hair before collapsing onto my bed, exhausted.

The next afternoon, as I was leaving the three hour long Latin exam with Pandora, (we finished at the exact same time. Weird, huh?) talking about all the things we probably spelled wrong, Mr Brunner called us back. "Percy, Pandora.." He began, "Don't be discouraged about leaving Yancy. It's... It's for the best." His tone was kind, but his words still embarrassed me. Even though he was speaking quietly, the other kids finishing the test could still hear him. Nancy Bobofit smirked and made sarcastic kissy faces at me. Ew.

"Okay, sir." I heard Pandora mumble.

"I mean..." Mr Brunner wheeled his chair back and forth, like he wasn't sure what to say. "This isn't the right place for you two. It was only a matter of time."

My eyes were stinging. _Ignore him, Perce. What does he know?_ I heard Pandora's thoughts in my head, her mental 'voice' defensive. "Right." I whispered, trembling. After a year of telling me that he believed in me, here he was, telling me I wasn't good enough in front of the entire class.

"No, no." Mr Brunner said. "Oh, confound it all. What I'm trying to say is... You two aren't normal. That's nothing to be-"

"Thank you for reminding us." Pandora said, her voice cold and unresponsive.

"Pandora-"

But Pandora had already dragged me away.

On the last day of term, Pandora and I were sitting with our bags by our feet as the other kids laughed and talked about their holiday plans. Pandora and I just sat there with Grover, waiting for the bus. _Yo Perce?_ I heard Pandora think. _Yeah?_ I replied easily. _Dontchya think it's weird how Grover's never mentioned living in the city, yet he's catching the same bus as us?_ She asked, her mental voice suspicious. _Nah._ I replied, rolling my eyes.

The entire bus ride to the city, Grover kept looking around as if he expected someone to grab Percy and I. We were sitting across the aisle from him, and he kept glancing at us nervously. I couldn't take it anymore. I moved across the isle and sat next to him before asking: "Looking for the Kindly Ones?"

Grover jumped about a foot in the air and looked at me with wide eyes. "What- what do you mean?" he asked. I explained about eavesdropping with Pandora outside the classroom door. "How much did you hear?" He sighed, looking at me glumly. 

"Oh, nothing much. What's the summer solstice deadline?" Pandora asked, sliding into the seat behind us and leaning in. Grover then started rambling about how he was worried because Mrs. Dodds wasn't real and all that before I cut him off. "Grover, you're a really, really bad liar." I said.

Pandora snorted. Grover's ears turned pink, and he handed me a thick white business card. It had some writing in a fancy script that was near impossible to read. "What's Half-" Pandora began, before Grover stammered "D-don't say it out loud!" and glanced around as if something was going to attack us. "That's- that's my summer address".

My heart sank. Grover had a summer home. I had never considered that Grover might be as rich as the other students at Yancy. "Okay." I said glumly. "Like, if I want to come visit your mansion."  
He nodded. 

"Or... or if you need me." Pandora raised her eyebrow at him.

"Why would we need you?" Pandora asked harshly.

Grover blushed all the way down to his adam's apple. "Look, Percy, Pan, the truth is, I'm kind of your protector." I stared at him. Pandora snorted and gave him a once over.

"Right." she drawled.

Pandora had a point. All year, I had been protecting him from bullies. And here he was, acting like he was the one who protected me.

"Grover, what exactly have you been protecting us from?" I asked, just as the bus made an awful choking noise and sputtered to a stop.

The driver swore and pulled over before yelling "Everyone out!" We filed out of the bus as the driver went to look at the engine. We were on a stretch of country road- no place that you would notice if you weren't stuck there. It was kinda weird.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yo so this is chapter 2  
> you like? comments are much appreciated :3  
> also i suck at writing Percy :(  
> (and yeah that was my lullaby)


	3. Home (also spelt H-E-L-L) and Away (H-E-A-V-E-N)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> P&P go home, then leave pretty much straight away.   
> Also, Percy is a jerk to his best friend.

PANDORA

After the bus broke down, I started wandering around a bit. Percy and Grover were arguing about string or something, so I walked off. I squatted next to a little boy, who was crying his eyes out. "Hey little buddy, what's wrong?" I asked.

"I want m-Mommy!" he wailed, wrapping his arms around my waist. I looked down in shock, before scooping the boy up.

"Let's find your mommy, little guy."

I started walking up to young-ish women who were standing around the bus, asking if this was her child. Suddenly, a young lady came running up to me. "Put my son down!" She yelled.

"Okay, okay!" I said, placing the boy on the ground. "He was sobbing, looking for you. So I wanted to help him find you." I explained, raising my arms and taking a step back.

"Oh." she said, surprised. "Thanks then." she smiled.

"No problem." I said, walking back to Percy and Grover. "I'm back!" I sang, smiling. The smile dropped off of my face the second I looked at Percy. "What's going on?" I asked, confused.

"Nothing, Dor." Percy muttered.

I raised one eyebrow at them, my mouth quirking into a frown. "Whatever."

"Darn Right!" The driver yelled, slapping his hat on the side of the bus. "Everybody back on board!"

We climbed back onto the bus, and Grover turned to me, looking desperate. "Pandora, let me walk you home from the bus stop." he pleaded.

I raised my other eyebrow. "Dude, that's like a boyfriend-y girlfriend-y thing. You got something you wanna tell me?" I asked. Percy snorted.

"What? No! No- C'mon Pandora!" He yelped, blushing. "I don't like you like that!"

"Calm Down, G-man." I laughed. "I don't like ya like that either, numbskull."

"I just meant- Can I walk you two home?" He stuttered.

"Sure." I replied easily, ignoring Percy's death glare.

The thing about Grover is that he has a nervous bladder. So the second we got off the Greyhound he made us promise to wait for him, then made a beeline for the bathrooms.

[LIGHTNING THIEF]

I broke the promise. Actually, Percy did. The second Grover was gone, he grabbed my hand and dragged me to the nearest cab. "East One Hundred and Fourth and First Avenue." He said, ignoring my protests.

_Perseus Jackson, what the HECK?_ I mentally screamed at him as we sat in the back of the cab. _Look, Pandora. He was looking at me like I was going to die just because some old lady cut a piece of string._ He snapped. Mentally, that is. _Okay, that is weird._ I agreed, frowning. Suddenly the cab stopped, and Percy paid the driver. We clambered out and grabbed our bags.

"Home sweet home." I muttered sarcastically as I pushed open the door to the lobby and walked towards the elevator. When we reached our apartment, the kitchen table was occupied by our Step-father, Gabe. He was not a nice person. I hated him.

"Where's our mom?" Percy asked, frowning at the sight before us. Gabe had a few 'Friends' over, and they were playing poker.

"I'll be in our room." I muttered, wading through beer cans and dirty magazines to get to the door. I opened the door to see the trash all over the floor, and smell the stench of cheap beer and cigars.

"Dor, we're out of cash." Percy said, suddenly standing behind me.

"Gabe made you give it to him." I sighed, shoving car magazines off of the upper bunk of our bunk bed.

"What was I supposed to do?!" Percy snapped, clearing off the bottom bunk.

"Perce, calm down. I know there wasn't anything you could do." I sighed, flopping back onto my bed. "I just wish we didn't have to deal with Gabe."

"Me too, Pan. Me too." Percy agreed.

I smiled when I heard the door open and close, clambering down the ladder. Our mom, Sally Jackson, burst into our room.

"Mom!" I sang, wrapping my arms around her neck.

"Pandora! Oh, you two have grown since Christmas!" She fussed, smiling. She handed Percy and I a bag of candy each, from Sweet on America, the candy store where she worked.

"Yum! Thanks Mom!" Percy said, sticking a blue jellybean into his mouth. All of Percy's candy was blue, where mine was mostly green. I popped an apple sour string into my mouth, grinning.

"So, how was school?" Mom cooed, looking at us expectantly. Percy then launched into a vague description of our year, with me adding in details here and there.

_Dude, skip the monsters and creepy stuff, kay?_ I thought, smiling and laughing.

_Was already planning on it._ Percy's mental voice rang in my head. I nodded and kept up my fake smile. But it was only fake until Mom had her say.

"We're going to the beach." She said, grinning. Percy and I looked at each other before turning to our mother and shouting in sync: "Montauk?" I squealed excitedly, while Percy just wrapped his arms around Mom.

"When?" He asked, a goofy smile on his face.

"As soon as I get changed." She answered, and I squealed again.

"Sally? Come make me some bean dip!" I heard Gabe yell, and the smile twisted into a scowl. My mother is the nicest person in the world. She should be married to a millionaire, not this jerk.

"What?" Mom asked, and I turned to see the worried expression on Percy's face.

"Nothing, Ma." I said, faking another smile.

"Sally, Bean dip!" Gabe yelled, appearing in the doorway. My mouth dipped back into a scowl, and I growled under my breath. Percy put his hand on my arm and I calmed down slightly, but not a lot.

"I'm coming, dear. I was just talking to the twins about the trip." She said, smiling sweetly.

Gabe's eyes got small. "The trip? You were serious about that?"

"I knew it. He won't let us go." Percy muttered, frowning.

"Of course he will," Mom said evenly. "Your stepfather is just worried about money. That's all. Besides," she added, "Gabriel won't have to settle for bean dip. I'll make him enough seven-layer dip to last the whole weekend. Sour cream. Guacamole. The works."

Gabe softened a bit. "So the money for this trip... It come out of your clothes budget, right?"

"Yes honey." Mom said.

"And you won't take my car anywhere but there and back?"

"We'll be very careful." Ugh. Why was mom still with this guy?

Gabe scratched his chin and looked at the ceiling. "Maybe if you hurry with that seven layer dip... And maybe if the brats apologies for interrupting my poker game."  
 _Maybe if I kick you in a soft spot, and make you sing soprano for a week._ Percy thought. I gave a surprised giggle, and Gabe glared at me.

I put on a bright smile, and said "Oh, I'm so sorry for interrupting your incredibly important poker game!" I gave a girlish giggle, internally rolling my eyes.

"I'm sorry for interrupting your incredibly important poker game. Please go back to it right now." Percy muttered.

Gabe narrowed his eyes, trying to detect any sarcasm in our voices. He eventually shrugged and walked back out to his game, Mom following after to make the seven-layer dip while Percy and I packed.

"Hey Perce, why the long face? We're going to the beach! Three nights, same cabin?" I asked, still smiling.

"Yeah, I'm excited as ever. It's just..."

"Mrs. Dodds." I finished for him. His eyes flickered up to meet mine. "It's okay Perce. She's gone." I said, pulling him into a hug.  
It felt weird, comforting him. He was 5 minutes older, so he usually took care of me.

"Thanks, Dor." He smiled, zipping his suitcase up.

[LIGHTNING THIEF]

I saw Gabe telling Percy to not get any scratches on his car of whatever. What, does he thinks Percy's going to be driving?

"Shotgun!" I yelled, sprinting to the passenger side and sliding into the car. Percy grumbled and slid into the back, and Mom started up the car.

I heard the screen door slam shut, and I quickly flashed a look back. Must've just been the wind.

Our rental cabin was on the south shore, way out at the tip of Long Island. It was a little pastel box with faded curtains, half buried in the dunes.  
We had been going there ever since Percy and I were kids, and I absolutely adored it. After all, it was were Mom met my Dad. That was the best thing about the dusty little  
cabin. The story behind it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, Double update!! Woo hoo!!!   
> Not much other than pointless crap here. Not much plot.   
> The [LIGHTNING THIEF] is my version of a pagebreak, btw.


	4. At the Beach

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> boring filler

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> really short chapter sorry ;-;

**Percy**

I loved the beach. I truly felt at home there, by the water, away from Gabe. Just my twin, our Mom, and me.  
When we got to the cabin, we dusted off the cabinets while Mom started a fire outside.  
"Percy! We're at the beach!" Pandora sang, jumping around.

"No, really?" I teased, getting a smack on the back of my head as a reply. "Did you have to hit me?" I complained, walking outside.

"Yes, it was completely necessary!" She yelled, grabbing marshmallows, running out to sit next to me.

We had a dinner that consisted of hot dogs, blue and green candy, and marshmallows. Pandora shrieked whenever the flames came  
anywhere near her, and I laughed. She got her revenge when I managed to light my marshmallow on fire, and had to cover it in sand to  
put it out.  
"I guess we're just not fire people" I laughed apologetically, hanging my head. Pandora wrapped her arms around me, smiling.

"Neither was your father." our mother said quietly. Pandora and I turned towards her, expectant. She only brought up our dad when  
she had a story to tell.

"What was he like?" Pandora asked, already knowing what the answer would be. We both knew it would be the same as every other time we asked her.  
"Wonderful. He was handsome, clever, charming…" She said, smiling softly at us. "He was a sea captain. He had to leave. He's not dead, kids. Just lost at sea..." She said, smiling dreamily.

"Did we know him?" I asked, recalling the warm feeling of his smile, a soft chuckle.

"No. He was only with me for that one summer, at this beach..." She told us, her smile turning sad.

"But... He knew us as kids! I remember him!" Pandora cried, her lower lip trembling.

"Pandora... I'm sorry. You never knew him." Mom said, wrapping an arm around Pandora.

"It's just... I swear, I remember him. His smile, his laugh..." Pandora's voice trailed off. I saw a tear running down her face.

"we should all get to bed, It's getting late." I said, taking Pandora's hand and leading her back into the cabin, leaving Mom to put out the fire.

I woke up around an hour later to hear a fierce wind blowing outside. I walked into the kitchen too see Pandora leaning against the wall, watching the lightning and waves clash. I could hear it, as well as a strange noise, like hooves clopping on the sand.  
"Hurricane." I jumped. Pandora grinned, knowing that It had been her comment that had scared me.

"Can't be, It's too early in the season..?" I trailed off, my statement sounding like a question.

"Obviously, the weather doesn't agree." She said, walking to stand next to me. The clopping continued, and I wondered what sort of animals were on the beach.

I stood with Pandora, watching the storm, until the door broke down. A familiar shaped body stood in the door, and irritated bleating coming out of it's mouth.  
"GROVER?" Pandora yelled, stumbling because of the fierce winds blowing through the now open door.

"GROVER?" I shouted, though this was a question. Why was Grover here?

"PANDORA? PERCY? GROVER?" I turned to see my mother standing in the doorway to her room, wearing sweats and a t-shirt. Pandora whipped her head back and forth between her and Grover, a confused look on her face.

"YOU GUYS DIDN'T TELL HER?" Grover screamed, his voice breaking. We heard a heavier thumping coming from farther down on the beach. He looked back, eyes wide. "NEVERMIND THAT! WE HAVE TO GO, RIGHT NOW." The urgency in his voice was unmistakable. I saw Pandora grab her small backpack, the only thing she hadn't unpacked. Mom nodded, the same urgency and fear mirrored in her eyes.

"GO!" She yelled, motioning towards the door. I grabbed Pandora's hand, tugging her out the door and into the storm.


	5. The Weirdest Summer Camp you will Ever Encounter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yay camp woo woo!!!  
> Also Pandora gets hit on -_-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so they make it to camp  
> that's p much it

**PANDORA**

I was terrified. All I had was my bag, with a spare change of clothes, a picture of Mom, Percy and I, and my pocketknife. I was running, Percy was holding my hand. We clambered into the car, Grover right behind us.

"Shhh, Pan, It'll all be okay." Percy murmured, pulling me close. I whimpered, feeling the car vibrating to life beneath us, our mother pulling onto the road.

"Grover! What the heck is going on!?" I asked, the quiet venom clear in my voice.

"Oh, just the Lord of the Dead sending bloodthirsty minions after you, no biggie." Percy's eyes went wide.

"Grover!" Mom snapped. I winced. Mom never snaps at anyone, ever.

"Both of you, shut up." I heard the words coming out of my mouth, quiet but commanding. Everyone turned to look at me in surprise. "Mom, keep driving. Grover, explain. Now." Percy and Grover looked astounded, as If they couldn't register the fact that the quiet power in my voice was real, the subtle anger, the hint of fear. I didn't recognize my own voice.

"Look, Pandora, Percy. No easy way to say this, but-" That was when the cow landed in the middle of the road. Mom swerved off the road, the car spinning around, and the- boom.We were upside down in a ditch. My vision was blurred, and something sticky and wet was dripping down my forehead. I lifted a hand to find out what it was, and when I looked at it, I fainted.

It was blood.

[LIGHTNING THIEF]

I woke up in a white room, having no recollection of what happened before I woke up. I tried to sit up in the bed, only to slump back down.

"Excuse me, but where am I?" I asked the boy who was standing by the door. He had cropped blonde hair and pure blue eyes.

"You're in the Camp Half-Blood infirmary." He replied easily, walking over to help me. "My name is Michael Yew. You're Percy's twin, right?" he asked, handing me a cup of what looked like apple juice. I nodded, trying to remember what had happened.

"Where is Percy?" I asked, taking a sip of the apple juice. I almost spit it out, not expecting the taste of the blueberry crumble that my mother used to make. "And what is this?" I said, gesturing to the liquid.

"Well, beautiful, Percy is being shown around camp." I raised an eyebrow at the 'beautiful' "And that is nectar. Drink of the Gods." I tilted my head to the side.

"Uh, okay. That totally makes sense." I said sarcastically. He laughed.

"Sweetheart, whe-" He started to say something, but he was cut off by someone clearing their throat. We both turned in shock to see Percy and some stereotypical looking blonde standing by the door.

"What did you just call me sister?" Percy growled, glaring at Michael.

 _Percy, calm down._ I thought, dreading what would happen next.

 _Pan, I will not let someone hit on you like that!_ I heard Percy's angry thoughts echo around my head.

"I, I uh- I called her sweetheart?" Michael stammered, the statement sounding more like a question. Percy raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe you should get to know the next chick before you hit on her." I raised an eyebrow at that. Michael could've taken Percy easily. So why was he acting like Percy had killed a monster?

I cringed. That last thought had triggered a flash of memories, Percy fighting some sort of bull-man, and Mom- I gave a choked cry. Mom dying.

"Pan, you okay?" Percy asked, his brow creased with worry. I nodded. He smiled at me, but I could tell that he was still worried.

Perce, later. I thought, grinning at him and the blonde. "So, Perce, who's your girlfriend?" I asked, laughing when he blushed. The blonde raised an eyebrow at me, and that's when I noticed her eyes. A stunning, stormy grey, cold and calculating. So, not a stereotypical blonde. Got it.

"I'm not his girlfriend, and my name is Annabeth Chase." The girl, Annabeth said. She studied me with those fierce, gray eyes, daring me to challenge her.

"Right. Anyways, will someone please explain to me what's happening?" I asked with mock politeness. Annabeth raised an eyebrow at Michael, grinning.

"Michael, you were supposed to explain to the girl, not flirt with her!" Annabeth teased, causing Michael to blush. I giggled at that.

"Well, cause Michael here didn't, I guess I'll give you a tour." I smiled.

"Awesome. Perce, you gonna join us?" I asked winking at him and mouthing 'girlfriend' at him.

He flushed, shoving me. "Fine." he groaned. I stood, no longer feeling even the slightest bit dizzy. Annabeth and I walked ahead of him, properly introducing ourselves.

"Pandora Jackson, New York born and raised." I said, grinning.

"Annabeth Chase, San Fran born but New York raised." She said, smiling. I was about to say something before someone interrupted me.

"Princess, Prissy." A girl said, leering at Percy and Annabeth. She was bulky, with stringy brown hair and a spear strapped to her back. Percy flinched when she turned on me. "Look, Prissy got himself a girlfriend!" She laughed, sneering at me.

"You think that I'm Percy's girlfriend?" I snorted, crossing my arms. "Must be short of a few brain cells." Rude, I know. But I can't control the sass.

"You callin' me stupid, girl?" She said, getting up in my face. She was at least four inches taller than me, and I knew I was being stupid. Insulting the girl with the sharp pointy stick? Not my best plan.

"So what If I am?" I asked cockily, putting a hand on my hip.

"No-one calls me stupid, girl-" She growled, stepping forwards.

"I wouldn't try anything else, Clarisse." I heard a mischievous voice from behind me.

"Yeah, this one looks a little too fiery for you." A slightly different voice said. I whipped around to see two boys, maybe twins, standing there. Shaggy brown hair, elf-like features, and I had the sudden urge to check my pockets.

"Fine. Prissy, you better watch your girl before she gets herself into trouble." Clarisse sneered. I rolled my eyes.

"Say that I'm his girlfriend one more time and I swear, you will be sorry." I growled, placing my feet in a fighting stance.

"Why, you ashamed to be Prissy's girlfriend?" She laughed, as if she was being clever. Oh, how wrong she is.

"Big mistake." I said, swinging my fist. Usually in fights I was more careful, but I had a plan. A stupid, dangerous plan, but still- A plan. Like a predicted, Clarisse dodged my fist and grabbed the front of my shirt. I quickly planted my foot behind her and shoved her backwards, effectively tripping her. She landed hard on her butt.

"Never call me Percy's girlfriend ever again." I said, breathing heavily. "Next time, use your eyes and you'll see that we're twins." I hear laughter from behind me. The two boys, (twins?) were laughing their butts off. I turned to Annabeth and Percy. Percy looked a little awestruck, while Annabeth looked thoughtful.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I quipped, tilting my head to the side.

"I'm thinking that I want you two on my team for capture the flag." She grinned. I smiled back.  
I think I like this place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i fucking love sass (and the ladies :3)


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Capture the Flag and plot twists

**PERCY**

I was going to tell her, I swear. I was going to get all of this crazy crap out of the way. But then, she got into that argument with Clarisse, and then, It was dinner time.

"Look, Dora.." I said, tugging on her arm. She turned, still laughing from some corny joke that the Stolls had told her.

"Yeah, Perce?" She giggled, then frowned when she saw the look on my face. She turned back to the Stolls. "Well, Connor, Travie, I have to go and speak with my brother dearest." She leant forwards and whispered something in Travis's ear, causing him to blush and splutter. I gave him my best 'If you touch her i'll murder you' glare then started walking off. She winked at him then jogged after me, her face melting into a serious frown.

"Look, Pandora, this camp... It's not normal." I whispered. She raised an eyebrow at me, snorting.

"No, really?" She said. "That much is obvious. I mean, sword fights? Who does that?" She snorted again, the tilted her head. "That, and the freaky obsession with Greek myths."

"That's the thing, Dor. They aren't myths." I stopped walking, and she smacked into me. I turned to face her, and she was white as a sheet.

"Who. Told. You?!" She growled, grabbing my shoulders. "I will rip them to shreds."

I gasped. "Wait- You knew!?" I pulled away from her. She was crying now, angry tears dripping down her face.

"Yes! I've known since I was nine! It's not every friggin day that you walk in on your mother and a GOD!" She screamed, collapsing.

"Shhh, Dora! It's okay." I whispered, hugging her. Then, I did the only thing that I knew would calm her down.

I sang.

_Sleep, my darling_

_lay your head to rest..._

I walked Pandora back to the Hermes cabin, my arm around her shoulders. She wiped her tear stained face and hugged me.

"I'm so sorry." She whispered. I hugged her back, murmuring into her ear. When I pulled away, she smiled. I grinned back.

"Dor, do you know who dad is?" I asked, ignoring the dangerous rumble of thunder.

"I wish." She replied grimly. I shook my head. "We'll find him eventually, Perce. First, I need sleep." I laughed at that.

"One last thing, Dora... What did you say to Travis earlier?" I cringed when she laughed loudly.

"Oh, I just reminded him about what a lovely brother he has, and what could come of it." I raised an eyebrow. "Don't give me that look! I managed to score a bed instead of a place on the floor because of it." Pandora grumbled.

"Night, Sis."

"Night, Bro."

After a week or so, Pandora and I settled into a routine that felt almost normal. Each morning, Annabeth taught us Ancient Greek (which Pandora hated and I actually thought was pretty cool.), The, we'd rotate through the outdoor activities, looking for something we were both good at. Chiron tried to teach us archery, but only Pandora was good at it. Chiron was pretty forgiving when I got an arrow stuck in his tail.

Foot Racing was a no-go, as well. Pandora was even worse at it than I was, and that's saying something.

Wrestling? You must be joking. Pandora and I were pulverized by Clarisse every time we stepped on the mats.

"There's more where that came from, punk." She'd mumble in my ear.

The only thing we both excelled at was canoeing, but that didn't really give any hints about who our godly parent was. That wasn't the type of heroic skill you would expect from the kid who killed the Minotaur, either.

I knew the senior campers were watching us, trying to determine what cabin we belonged in. It must've been hard.

We weren't as strong as the Ares kids, and only Pandora was as good as the Apollo kids at archery, so that's out. Neither of us had Hephaestus's way with metalworking, or- gods forbid- Dionysus's way with plants. Luke told me that we might be Hermes kids, kind of a jack-of-all trades, but he was just trying to make me feel better.

Despite all of that, I liked Camp. We would eat dinner with the Hermes cabin and train with them every day. I got used to the odd smell of burning food, the morning fog over the beach, the noises from the woods at night.

I would always scrape part of my meal into the fire, praying to whoever my dad is to claim me.

I started to understand Luke's bitterness, and how he seemed to resent his father. So okay, maybe gods had important things to do. But couldn't they call every once in awhile, or thunder, or anything? Dionysus could make Diet Coke appear out of thin air. Why couldn't my dad make a phone appear?

Thursday afternoon, three days after Pandora and I arrived at Camp Half-Blood, We had our first sword fighting lesson. Everybody from cabin 11 gathered in the big circular arena, where Luke would be our instructor.

We started with basic stabbing and slashing, using some straw stuffed dummies in Greek armor. I guess I did okay, unlike Pandora, who could hardly even lift her sword. At least I understood what I was supposed to be doing and my reflexes were good.

The problem was, I couldn't find a blade that felt right in my my hands. They were all too heavy, too long, or too light. Luke tried his best to fix me up, but he agreed that none of the practice blades quite worked for me.

We moved on to dueling in pairs. Luke announced that Pandora and I would take turns working with him, because this was our first time.

"Good luck. Luke's the best swordsman this place has had in the last 300 years." A random camper said, shaking his head.

"Maybe he'll go easy on us." Pandora offered, tilting her head, her ponytail swinging over her shoulder. The camper only snorted.

Luke showed us thrusts and parries and shield blocks the hard way. With each swipe and slash we got more bruised and battered. "Keep your guard up, Percy." He'd say before whacking me in the ribs with the flat of his blade. "Not that far up!" Whack! "Lunge!" Whap! "Now back!" Whap!.

By the time he called a break, I was soaked in sweat. Everybody swarmed the drinks cooler. I was about to take a drink when Pandora dumped some water on my head.

"Pan!" I yelled glaring at her. She shrugged, a glint in her eye. "Oh, you'll pay!" I poured my drink over her head. She laughed.

"Okay, everybody circle up! I'd like to give a little demo, If Pandora doesn't mind." She stiffened, trying to pick up her sword. She growled and hefted the sword.

He told us how to do a strange maneuver, swinging at the feet before slashing upwards to their wrists.

"No laughing at Pandora now, this has been used against me and worked." She growled some more at that. "We'll spar until one of us pulls it off." He said, then Luke went after her.

After around of a minute, Pandora lost it.

"Argh!" She cried chucking her sword to the side. She ducked into a roll, coming up behind Luke. She grabbed his arm, twisting it around and forcing him to drop his sword.

"Never, ever try and use me for a practice dummy, Castellan." She pushed him further into the ground before standing up. She walked out of the arena, leaving the rest of us in silence.

Then Travis started laughing.

"You got your butt kicked, Luke!"

The next day, Grover told me the story of Thalia Grace, the girl who sacrificed herself and is now the Pine Tree that sat on the top of Half-Blood hill. Pandora nodded in respect, but I was upset.

"It wasn't the girl's fault!"

"Yet the gods didn't show mercy." He sighed.

That night after dinner, there was a lot more excitement than usual. It was time for capture the flag.

Campers yelled and cheered as The Athena cabin and the Ares cabin brought out the flags. Everyone suited up in armor, and grabbed weapons. Pandora snatched two knives, muttering about silly swords and not being allowed to use bows.

Athena had made an alliance with Hermes and Apollo, the two biggest cabins, and Ares had made alliances with everyone else.

Chiron went through the rules, and we started marching into the woods.

"Perce, we're on 'border patrol.' We just stand by the creek." She smiled, apparently thankful to not have to fight.

"Right." We took our positions, Annabeth stopping to whisper something to Pandora. Pandora then turned and climbed up the tree, winking at me.

The horn blew, and Annabeth yelled "Blue Team, forwards!" Everyone yelled and charged.

I stood there, waiting about, before five Ares kids burst forwards for the bushes.

"Cream the punk!" Clarisse screamed, running forwards. I managed to sidestep the first few slashes, but they soon surrounded me. Clarisse thrust the tip of her spear forwards, and I blocked it with my shield, only to be shocked.

Electric. Her stupid spear was electric.

I was soon slammed into the dirt, wincing from pain.

"The flag is that way." I heard the voice from behind Clarisse and sighed with relief. Pandora was here to save my butt. Clarisse turned and I saw my sister, casually leaning against the tree she had scaled before.

"You see, girl, we don't care about the flag. We care about the punk that made our cabin look stupid." She growled, gesturing back at me. Her spear swung scarily close to my face.

"You do that without my help." I said, which was probably not a good idea. Two of them came at me. I scrambled back towards the creek, but Clarisse was too fast. Her spear struck me in the ribs, and I would have been shish-kebabed if not for my armor. As it was, the electric point almost shocked my teeth out. One of her cabin mates managed to get a decent sized cut on me before Pandora jumped him.

"No maiming." I managed to get out, feeling faint.

"Whoops. guess I lost my dessert privilege." He laughed. Pandora jammed her elbow into his gut, effectively silencing him. Clarisse pushed me back into the creek, laughing. I felt a strange surge, and I realized that I had felt it when Pandora doused me yesterday. Clarisse came to hit me again, but this time I was ready. I caught the shaft of her spear in between my sword and shield, and it snapped like a twig.

"You corpse breath little worm!" She screamed, and she probably would have said worse if Pandora hadn't hit her with the hilt of her knife. Then we heard yelling, elated screams, and we saw Luke dash across the boundary, red teams flag lifted high. Clarisse stood, swaying a little. "A trick. It was all a trick." We payed no attention, screaming and cheering with the rest of our team. Then, things took a turn for the worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> didnt see that one coming did you   
> also luke don't mess with pandora


	7. Loners (Until the Court Decrees)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "But of course. Now get off of me." he laughed and I giggled.
> 
> "Until proven innocent!" I laugh as a goodbye.
> 
> "See you then!" He responds easily. I smile just a tad sadly. Until proven innocent.

**PANDORA**

We were all cheering Luke's victory when I heard the growl. Low, rough and dangerous. I felt the glare of the red eyes before I saw them, and the monster pounced just as I snatched a bow of an Apollo kid. Chiron screamed something in greek about his bow, but I was too busy focusing on the monster speeding towards us. I shot an arrow at it, hitting one of it's eyes, but it still hit us. I screamed as it's claws tore through my armor, my eyes wide. I went limp as a dozen arrows flew into it's neck.

"Get her into the creek!" Annabeth ordered. The campers murmured their discontent but did as she said. The moment I touched the water, I felt better. I watched as the claw marks on my arm healed, impossibly fast.

"What- I- Percy! It healed your arm!" I stuttered, eyes wide. I stood, Percy rushing over to help me. Then, Annabeth gasped.

"What- I'm sorry, I don't know why.." Percy trailed off when I nudged him in the ribs, pointing my chin at the shimmering hologram above us. A symbol: A three pointed trident, spinning and shining. It faded, and I looked Chiron in the eye.

"Your father... This is not good." Annabeth muttered. Percy stammered out questions, but we blatantly ignored him.

"It is determined!" Chiron called, and the campers started kneeling, even the Ares kids. My stomach clenched.

"Our father?" I said, it coming out dark and rough.

"Poseidon." Chiron said. "Earthshaker, Stormbringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Percy and Pandora Jackson, Twins of the Sea God."

[LIGHTNING THIEF]

We were transferred to Cabin 3 immediately after, becoming co-counselors. With only the two of us, there was plenty of room for all of our stuff: Percy's Minotaur horn, our spare sets of clothes and two toiletry bags. We got to sit at our own dinner table, pick our own activities, and call 'lights out' whenever we wanted to.

It sucked.

Percy was constantly moping about, only really being active during his sword lessons with Luke. Annabeth and Michael were helping me out with using knives and bows, but they all felt... wrong in my hands. They were the only campers other than Percy that I really talked to. Even Conner and Travis had started avoiding me like I had the plague.

Even Annabeth would walk away from Ancient Greek in the mornings muttering about quests, plans, Poseidon. I was sick of it.

"Alright, spill!" I had finally managed to pin Conner to the wall, my borrowed knife hovering over his throat. We had wrestled, but I had won.

"Pandora! What- why!?" He yelled, squirming. I pressed the knife into his neck, hard enough to hurt but not draw blood.

"Why is everyone avoiding Percy and I!?" I hissed, pushing him harder against the wall.

"Wait, you mean no-one told you?" He seemed confused. I growled, pushing the flat of my blade onto his neck. "Okay, okay! Look- You and Percy aren't meant to be alive." I gasped at that, loosening my grip.

"What?"

"The Big Three- Zeus, Poseidon and Hades - They made an oath to never have kids again, because they were too dangerous." I shuddered, thinking of the times I had seen Percy rage. It was scary. When I got mad, I was a dangerous. "And you know the story of Thalia.. She was a daughter of Zeus, who was killed by Hades' monsters. And now you and your brother have targets on your backs."

I fell backwards. "So- You're saying I'm a threat?" He nodded. "So that's why you avoid me like I've got the plague." he continued nodding.

"I am so sorry, Pandora. But... It's dangerous for me to be around you." I nodded solemnly.

"Ok. Anything to keep others safe." I leaned down and kissed him on the cheek. "But if I'm guilty until proven innocent, the second I'm proved innocent, we are pranking someone." He looked a little surprised at the kiss, then smirked.

"But of course. Now get off of me." he laughed and I giggled.

"Until proven innocent!" I laugh as a goodbye.

"See you then!" He responds easily. I smile just a tad sadly. Until proven innocent.

Little did I know, my chance at being proven innocent would come around rather quickly.

[LIGHTNING THIEF] 

I was woken by the sound of clopping hooves. Grover's here, get the door. I thought at Percy, who made sure to toss a pillow at me as he answered the door.

"Hey, G-man! What's up?" Percy greeted, opening the door.

"Mr. D wants to see you." He said bluntly. I shivered. Mr D, the camp director, was a scary man. He also hated Percy and I. "Both of you." He added, turning to me.

We walked over to the Big House, and I spotted Mr D and Chiron playing some card game. Mr D glanced up. "Well, well, if it isn't our little superstars." I grabbed Percy's shoulder, stopping him from moving forwards.

"Come closer." Mr D commanded "And don't expect me to kowtow to you two mortals,just because old Barnacle Beard is your father." a net of lightning flashed across the clouds, and I shivered.

"Blah, blah, blah." Mr D said.

Chiron feigned interest in his pinochle cards. Grover cowered by the railing, his hooves clopping back and forth.

"If I had my way," Dionysus said, "I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames. We'd sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble. But Chiron here seems to feel that it would be 'harmful'."

"Spontaneous combustion is a form of harm, Mr D." Chiron said, glancing at us.

"Nonsense, they wouldn't feel a thing! Nevertheless, I've decided to restrain myself. I'm thinking of turning you into dolphins instead, and sending you back to your father."

"Sir, I would thank you for the honor of being turned into a dolphin by a god like you, but honestly, you think our father would want us?" I heard the words come out of my mouth before I knew what I was doing.

_Pandora!_ I heard the panicked thought of my name vibrating around my skull.

_Oh, gods, Perce! I'm sorry!_ Was my equally panicked reply. Mr D turned to look at me, evaluating me.

"Tell me, girl, what did you make of that hellhound? You too, boy." He said, his eyes dangerously light. I suppressed a shudder.

"It scared me." Percy and I answered in sync. Then, I took over. "But I knew it wouldn't kill us. Maim us, maybe. But Percy and I are the too valuable to be thrown away like pawns, sir. You can't sacrifice the knights that early in the game." The shock that mirrored on Percy, Mr D, and Chiron's faces was priceless.

"You will meet worse."

"Percy, Pandora. Sit." I got the feeling that it wasn't an offer. I sat.

"Uh.. we'll meet worse where?" Percy asked looking confused.

"Your quest, if you should choose to accept it."

Percy shot a glance at Grover. "Um, Sir? You haven't told us what it is yet." He tilted his head to the side. I sighed.

"Perce, I'm pretty sure we're about to find out."

"Oh."

"Well, that's the hard part. Details." Chiron said, looking grim.

_Percy, I don't like this._ I thought.

_You're not alone, sis. Just let me handle it, k?_ Was his reply. I frowned.

_Whatever, bro._

"Poseidon and Zeus are fighting over something," Percy said, "Something big, and valuable. Something that was stolen, aren't they?" I looked at him in surprise. How does he know that?

Chiron leaned forward and voiced my thoughts. "How did you know that?"

Percy blushed. "I, uh, dreams?" He says, looking as confused as I feel.

"Perce, how come I didn't have them too?" Chiron looks so confused, it's not even slightly comical.

_Perce, I think we just gave away our secret._

_No, really?_ He thought, and I turned to Chiron.

_Five bucks says he freaks out._

_You're on, sis._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> short chapter sorry :B  
> im terrible at updating regularly guys


	8. Audience with The Oracle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percy and Pandora receive their fate.

PERCY 

“Uh.. Chiron, you might wanna know that Pandora and I can hear each others thoughts. It’s not that big of a deal...?” I trailed off, and Pandora stared at Chiron, pokerfaced. 

_Smooth, bro_. She thought, and I frowned. 

_Like you could do better_. I retorted mentally before Chiron spoke. 

“And neither of you thought it might be useful to _tell me_?” he said, incredulous. Pandora’s poker face broke, and she snickered. 

“No, sir. No one knows but us, and you now. But it’s beside the point because Percy knows something and he needs to share, right Percy?” Pandora said, and then she turns her glare on me. It’s scary. 

“Right. Well, I had a dream about two of the gods fighting over something, something important.” I stammer out, and Chiron nods grimly. 

“Zeus’s master bolt.” Chiron acknowledged, looking at both of us in turn. Pandora raised an eyebrow. 

“Master _bolt_? As in, lighting bolt?” She asked, and Chiron nodded. “You have got to be kidding.” She continued. Chiron frowned. 

“No, Pandora, I am not ‘kidding’.” He said, then turned to me. “Zeus and Poseidon have always argued over petty things, the usual ‘Mother Rhea like me best’ nonsense, but at the winter solstice, Zeus’s Master bolt was stolen. Outraged, he accused Poseidon of stealing it. Now, gods cannot take another god’s symbol of power, but Zeus believes your father had a human steal it. Two humans, actually. Namely, you two.” he finished, and I gasped. 

_Holy mother of all things holy_. Pandora’s thoughts rang loud and clear through my head, and my mouth fell open. 

“Wait, _us_? Two scrawny 12 year old _kids_?” I asked, and Chiron nods again. 

“Zeus has proclaimed that if the bolt is not returned to him by the summer solstice, he will declare war on your father. Your father wants an apology for being called a thief on the same day, the 21st of June. Unless someone intervenes before then, we’re looking at full on war between the two. Can you imagine what that would be like?” Chiron questioned, and I frowned. 

“Bad?” I guessed, biting my lip.   
“Image the world in chaos. Nature at war with each other. Olympians forced to choose between Zeus and Poseidon. Carnage. Millions dead.” Chiron explained as Pandora looks down. 

“So yeah, Bad.” Pandora repeated. It started to rain, campers staring up at the sky in shock. I realised that Pandora and I had brought this storm to Camp Half Blood. Zeus was punishing the whole camp because of us. 

“So we have to find this stupid bolt,” I said, 

“And return it to Zeus.” Pandora finished, staring at Chiron. 

“What better peace offering than the children of Poseidon returning Zeus’s property?” Chiron offered, and Pandora snorted. 

“How are we supposed to find this stupid bolt if not even our ‘father’- who’s a _god_ \- knows where it is?” Pandora asked sarcastically. Chiron grimaced. 

_Dora, shut it._ I thought angrily at her. 

_Make me, Perce!_ She replied. 

_Don’t tempt me._

“I do believe that this is where the two of you would consult the Oracle.” Chiron explained. “Go upstairs, Percy and Pandora Jackson, to the attic. When you come back down, assuming you’re both still sane, we’ll talk more.” 

[LIGHTNING THIEF]

 

Four flights of stairs later, Pandora and I were standing underneath and old trap door. I pulled on the handle, causing a ladder to collapse down. 

“That’s not ominous at _all_.” Pandora murmured, yanking herself up into the attic. I followed after, rolling my eyes. The smell of mildew and somthing... else, was incredibly strong. The scent was almost reptilian. The attic itself was covered in Greek hero junk; armour stands covered in cobwebs, once bright shields pitted with rust, old leather steamer trunks plastered with stickers saying ITHAKA, CIRCE’S ISLE, and LAND OF THE AMAZONS. One long table was stacked with glass jars filled with pickled- _things_. 

“Nasty.” I commented, and Pandora nodded. Then she gasped, and pointed towards the window. 

Sitting there was the most nasty momento of all: a mummy. Not the wrapped-in-cloth kind, but a human female body shrivelled into a husk. She wore a tie-dyed sundress, lots of beaded necklaces, and a headband over long black hair. Pandora shivered, grabbing my hand. 

“Now that, _that_ is nasty.” She whispered, and I nodded in agreement. Just looking at the mummy sent chills up and down my back. And that was before she sat up and vomited green mist everywhere. Pandora froze in place, her blue eyes wide and glassy and _terrified_. Inside my- inside _our_ heads, I heard a voice, slithering in and coiling around my brain. A new voice was slithering through my brain, cold and unfamiliar. 

_I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask._ Pandora clenched her jaw, and looked at me. I wanted to say _No thanks, wrong door, just looking for the bathroom_ , but before I could back out, Pandora was dragging me forwards. 

“What is our destiny?” The words are spilling out of both of our mouths in sync. The mist swirled around more and more until I could hardly even see my twin, before collecting itself around the table that was covered in mementoes. Suddenly, there were four men sitting around the table. Their faces became clearer, and I saw that it was Gabe and his poker buddies. Pandora hissed. 

Gabe turned towards us and spoke in the rasping voice of the Oracle:

_You shall go west, face the god who has turned,_  
You shall find what was stolen, see it safely returned,   
A single soul bound to two will discover their fate,  
And face death by the hand of who calls them their friend,  
Failing to save what matters most, in the end. 

The figures dissolved, and Pandora’s eyes rolled back. Falling to the floor, a single wisp of green smoke slipped into her mouth. Her eyes snapped open, and she let out a blood-curdling scream. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> augh!! I'm so sorry for, yknow, not updating for ages. Well, im back now!


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